Spill-proof smoking implement

ABSTRACT

A smoking implement includes a cylindrical container having a sufficient volume of water to act as a filter for ash, resin and unburnt tobacco particles. The container has a mouthpiece at its top end through which smoke can be inhaled. An elongate pipe or stem extends through a side wall of the container. One end of the pipe is adapted to allow smoke to bubble up through the water in the container when in its upright position; the other end of the pipe has a receptacle or cone in which a quantity of tobacco may be burnt. A hollow tapered extension piece is provided in connection with the mouthpiece, and extends some distance into the container. The extension piece ends in a distal opening of reduced size relative to the mouthpiece, and is fitted with a valve member. In the event that the container is knocked over from its upright position the distal opening will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container through the mouthpiece.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a spill-proof smoking implement and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to a spill-proof bong.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A bong is a smoking implement used for smoking tobacco and other products, which comprises a container partially filled with water with a pipe passing into it. The container has a mouthpiece through which smoke is inhaled, and the pipe has a receptacle or cone in which the tobacco is burnt to produce the smoke for inhalation. The water in the container is used to filter or suppress ash, resin or unburnt particles of tobacco from the smoke prior to inhalation, during normal operation. A hole is usually provided in the side of the container which is covered by the operator's finger while smoking, and which is released when the tobacco has burnt to help clear the container of smoke. This hole is sometimes called a “shotgun”. Conventional bongs come in many different shapes and sizes, but they all typically have a container with a mouthpiece, a cone piece, a shotgun (or a hole leading to atmosphere), and an operating level of water in the container when in its upright position.

It is not uncommon for a bong to be knocked over during or after operation, with the result that the water in the container spills or leaks out onto the table or floor. The water inside the container is often black from filtering the smoke and resin and is very smelly. If the water spills onto carpet it can leave a dark, smelly stain if not immediately and carefully removed and cleaned. There are three points in a conventional bong from which the water can escape in a spill situation, when the container is tipped onto its side: through the mouthpiece; through the pipe; and through the shotgun or hole in the side of the container.

The present invention was developed with a view to providing a spill-proof smoking implement in which water from within the implement is inhibited from spilling out when the implement is knocked over from its upright position. Although the invention will be described with particular reference to bongs, it will be understood that the invention may also be applicable to other types of smoking implement such as a water pipe or hookah.

References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a spill-proof smoking implement of the type that relies on water to filter the smoke prior to inhalation, the smoking implement comprising:

-   -   a container having a sufficient volume of water to act as a         filter for ash, said container having a mouthpiece through which         smoke can be inhaled;     -   an elongate pipe extending through a side wall of the container,         one end of the pipe being adapted to allow smoke to bubble up         through the water in the container when in its upright position,         the other end of the pipe having a receptacle in which a         quantity of tobacco may be burnt; and,     -   a hollow tapered extension piece provided in connection with         said mouthpiece and extending into the container, said extension         piece ending in a distal opening of reduced size relative to the         mouthpiece whereby, in use, in the event that the container is         knocked over from it upright position said distal opening will         be substantially above the water level so that water is         inhibited from spilling out of the container through the         mouthpiece.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a spill-proof smoking implement of the type that relies on water to filter the smoke prior to inhalation, the smoking implement comprising:

-   -   a container having a sufficient volume of water to act as a         filter for ash, said container having a mouthpiece through which         smoke can be inhaled;     -   an elongate pipe extending through a side wall of the container,         one end of the pipe being adapted to allow smoke to bubble up         through the water in the container when in its upright position,         the other end of the pipe having a receptacle in which a         quantity of tobacco may be burnt; and,     -   a hollow tapered extension piece provided in connection with         said elongate pipe and extending into the container, said         extension piece ending in a distal opening of reduced size         relative to said one end of the pipe whereby, in use, in the         event that the container is knocked over from it upright         position said distal opening will be substantially above the         water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the         container through the pipe.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a spill-proof smoking implement of the type that relies on water to filter the smoke prior to inhalation, the smoking implement comprising:

-   -   a container having a sufficient volume of water to act as a         filter for ash, said container having a mouthpiece through which         smoke can be inhaled;     -   an elongate pipe extending through a side wall of the container,         one end of the pipe being adapted to allow smoke to bubble up         through the water in the container when in its upright position,         the other end of the pipe having a receptacle in which a         quantity of tobacco may be burnt; and,     -   an aperture provided for facilitating evacuation of smoke from         the container, said aperture having a normally-closed valve         provided therein which can be operated by a user to facilitate         evacuation of smoke from the container when needed.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word “preferably” or variations such as “preferred”, will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of the smoking implement, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a simple prior art bong;

FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of a smoking implement in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a smoking implement in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a section view through the smoking implement of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a section view through the smoking implement of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a section view through the smoking implement of FIG. 2 shown knocked over from its upright position;

FIG. 7 is a section view through the smoking implement of FIG. 3 shown knocked over from its upright position;

FIG. 8 illustrates a third embodiment of a smoking implement in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a section view through the smoking implement of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a smoking implement in accordance with the present invention; and,

FIG. 11 is a section view through the smoking implement of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional bong 10 of simple design in its upright position, having a container 12 partially filled with water, and a mouthpiece 14 through which smoke is inhaled. The bong 10 also has a pipe 16 that extends into the container, and which has a receptacle or cone 18 in which the tobacco is burnt to produce the smoke for inhalation. The water in the container is used to filter or suppress ash, resin or unburnt particles of tobacco from the smoke prior to inhalation, during normal operation. A hole or “shotgun” 20 is provided in the side of the container 12, which is covered by the operator's finger while smoking, and which is released when the tobacco has burnt to help clear the container of smoke. In the event that the container 12 is knocked over from its upright position, water from within the container 12 can leak from the container through the mouthpiece 14, the pipe 16 and/or the shotgun 20. Various aspects of the present invention therefore seek to address one or more of these potential leakage points.

A first embodiment of a smoking implement 24 according to the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the smoking implement 24 comprises a cylindrical container 26 having a sufficient volume of water to act as a filter for ash, resin and unburnt tobacco particles. The container 26 has a mouthpiece 28 at its top end through which smoke can be inhaled. An elongate pipe or stem 30 extends through a side wall of the container 26. One end 32 of the pipe 30 is adapted to allow smoke to bubble up through the water in the container when in its upright position; the other end 34 of the pipe 30 has a receptacle or cone 35 in which a quantity of tobacco may be burnt.

As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 4, a hollow tapered extension piece 36 is provided in connection with the mouthpiece 28, and extends some distance into the container 26. The extension piece 36 ends in a distal opening 38 of reduced size relative to the mouthpiece 28, and in this embodiment is fitted with a valve member 40. Distal opening 38 is preferably positioned centrally of the container 26. The other end of the extension piece 36 widens out to substantially the same diameter as the mouthpiece 28, and together with the mouthpiece 28 forms an airtight fit in the mouth of the container 26.

The extension piece 28 effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container 26. On the inner side of the extension piece 36 a water chamber 42 is formed in which the filter water is substantially contained, and on the outer side of the extension piece 36 an air chamber 44 is formed with the mouth piece 28 which is open to atmosphere. In use, in the event that the container is knocked over from it upright position as shown in FIG. 6, the distal opening 38 will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container 26 through the mouthpiece 28.

Valve member 40 is designed to further inhibit leakage of water through the distal opening 38. It is typically made from rubber and is formed with a small lateral aperture 46 that opens to one side of the valve member to allow smoke from within the water chamber 42 to be drawn out through the mouthpiece 28. However valve member 40 is preferably also formed with a spill cover 48 against which water from within the water chamber 42 can splash in the event that the container 26 is knocked over from its upright position.

It will be appreciated that the provision of the tapered extension piece 36 in and of itself can provide an effective spill-proof measure to inhibit leakage of water from the smoking implement in a spill situation. The location of a pipe or stem and a hole or shotgun in the side wall of the container 26 can be selected so that when the container is knocked onto its side, the water level in the container will typically be below a point where it can leak out through either the stem or the hole. However, preferably the smoking implement also comprises a second hollow tapered extension piece 50 provided in connection with the pipe or stem 30 and extending into the container 26 as shown in FIG. 4, to further inhibit leakage of water from the container.

The tapered extension piece 50 also ends in a distal opening 52 of reduced size relative to the end 32 of the pipe 30. The extension piece 50 extends below the water level and ends at a point proximate a bottom of the container 26. Like the extension piece 36, this extension piece 50 also effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container 26. On the outer side of the extension piece 50, within the container 26, the water chamber 42 is located in which the filter water is substantially contained. On the inner side of the extension piece 50 a smoke chamber 54 is formed with the pipe 30 that communicates with the receptacle or cone 35 in which the tobacco is burned. In use, in the event that the container 26 is knocked over from its upright position, as shown in FIG. 6, the distal opening 52 will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container through the pipe or stem 30.

Preferably the end 32 of the pipe 30 does not extend below the water level in the container 26, even when the smoking implement is in its upright position, so that at no point during normal operation is there any water in the pipe 30. Furthermore, the inside diameter of the extension piece 50 is preferably substantially larger than the outer diameter of the pipe 30. In this embodiment the inside diameter of the extension piece 50 is approximately twice the size of the outer diameter of the pipe 30. Hence, in a spill situation, although a small volume of water retained in the distal opening 52 of the extension piece 50 may flow into the smoke chamber 54, the possibility of any water entering the end 32 of the pipe 30 is remote.

Preferably this embodiment of the smoking implement 24 is also provided with an aperture 56 provided in a side of the container 26 for facilitating evacuation of smoke from the container 26. Aperture 56 is functionally equivalent to the hole or shotgun provided in a conventional bong. However advantageously the aperture 56 has a normally-closed valve 58 provided therein, which can be operated by a user to facilitate evacuation of smoke from the container when needed. In this embodiment the valve 58 is in the form of a spring-loaded push button valve 58, which is opened by applying pressure to the push button 58. Because the valve 58 is normally closed, there is no possibility of water from the container 26 leaking out through the aperture 56 in a spill situation.

Both the push button valve 58 and the tapered extension piece 50 are mounted in the side of the container 26 using suitable rubber seals 60 and 62. The seals 60 and 62 are air tight and water tight during normal use of the smoking implement 24. However they are designed so that the valve 58 and the extension piece 36 can be easily removed during disassembly for cleaning. If desired, the mouthpiece 28 may be provided with a screw cap or lid (not shown) to seal the container 26 when not is use.

With all three potential leakage points effectively covered, it is virtually impossible for any water to leak from the container 26 of the smoking implement 24 in a spill situation. There are many variations of the basic inventive concepts of the present invention, and FIGS. 3, 5 and 7 illustrate a second embodiment of a smoking implement 64 according to the present invention.

There are a number of parts of the smoking implement 64 which are similar to that of the first embodiment 24 illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, and therefore the same reference numerals have been used to identify the similar parts. As shown in FIG. 3, the smoking implement 64 comprises a cylindrical container 26 having a sufficient volume of water to act as a filter, and a mouthpiece 28 at its top end through which smoke can be inhaled. An elongate pipe or stem 30 extends through a side wall of the container 26. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 5, a hollow tapered extension piece 36 is provided in connection with the mouthpiece 28, and extends some distance into the container 26. The extension piece 36 ends in a distal opening 38 of reduced size relative to the mouthpiece 28, and in this embodiment is fitted with a valve member 66. Valve member 66 of this embodiment extends further down into the container 26 and further tapers to a narrow point located centrally of the container 26, but still above the water level. Like the valve member 40, valve member 66 also has a lateral aperture 68 through which smoke can be drawn into the mouthpiece 28.

As with the previous embodiment, the extension piece 36 effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container 26. On the inner side of the extension piece 36 a water chamber 42 is formed in which the filter water is substantially contained, and on the outer side of the extension piece 36 an air chamber 44 is formed with the mouth piece 28 which is open to atmosphere. In use, in the event that the container is knocked over from it upright position as shown in FIG. 7, the distal opening 38 will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container 26 through the mouthpiece 28. Valve member 66 is designed to further inhibit leakage of water through the distal opening 38.

This embodiment of the smoking implement 64 also incorporates a second hollow tapered extension piece 50 provided in connection with the pipe or stem 30 and extending into the container 26 as shown in FIG. 5, to further inhibit leakage of water from the container. The tapered extension piece 50 ends in a distal opening 52 of reduced size relative to the end 32 of the pipe 30. The extension piece 50 extends below the water level and ends at a point proximate a bottom of the container 26. Like the extension piece 36, this extension piece 50 also effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container 26, in the same manner as in the previous embodiment 24. In use, in the event that the container 26 is knocked over from its upright position as shown in FIG. 7, the distal opening 52 will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container through the pipe or stem 30.

Unlike the previous embodiment 24, this embodiment of the smoking implement 64 does not have a separate hole provided in the side wall of the container 26. Instead, an aperture 70 is provided in the rubber seal 62 for the extension piece 36. Aperture 70 is functionally equivalent to the hole or shotgun provided in a conventional bong. However the aperture 70 has a normally-closed valve 72 provided therein, which can be operated by a user to facilitate evacuation of smoke from the container when needed. In this embodiment the valve 72 is in the form of a removable valve member 72, which is opened by applying pressure to one side of the valve member 72 so as to partially open the aperture 70. Valve member 72 is retained in aperture 70 by a friction fit, and can be fully removed from the aperture to completely open the aperture 70 if required. Advantageously, when it is removed from the aperture 70, the valve member 72 can also be used to unblock the cone 35. Because the valve 72 is normally closed, there is no possibility of water from the container 26 leaking out through the aperture 70 in a spill situation.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a third embodiment of a smoking implement 74 according to the present invention. There are several parts of the smoking implement 74 which are similar to that of the previous embodiments 24 and 64 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, and therefore the same reference numerals have been used to identify the similar parts. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the smoking implement 74 comprises a container 76 having a sufficient volume of water to act as a filter, and a mouthpiece 28 at its top end through which smoke can be inhaled. Container 76 of this embodiment is formed in two halves, a bottom half in the form of a beer glass 78 and a top half in the form of a moulded lid 80. The two halves are held together firmly in a water tight and air tight seal by a rubber ring 82. An elongate pipe or stem 30 extends through a side wall of the moulded lid 80. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 9, a hollow tapered extension piece 36 is provided integral with the mouthpiece 28, and extends some distance into the container 26. The extension piece 36 ends in a distal opening 38 of reduced size relative to the mouthpiece 28.

As with the previous embodiments, the extension piece 36 effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container 76. On the inner side of the extension piece 36 a water chamber 42 is formed in which the filter water is substantially contained, and on the outer side of the extension piece 36 an air chamber 44 is formed with the mouth piece 28 which is open to atmosphere. In use, in the event that the container is knocked over from it upright position the distal opening 38 will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container 76 through the mouthpiece 28.

This embodiment of the smoking implement 74 also incorporates a second hollow tapered extension piece 50 provided in connection with the pipe or stem 30 and extending into the container 76 as shown in FIG. 9, to further inhibit leakage of water from the container. The tapered extension piece 50 ends in a distal opening 52 of reduced size relative to the end 32 of the pipe 30. The tapered extension piece 50 is held in a side wall of moulded lid 80 of the container 76 by means of a rubber seal 62. The extension piece 50 extends below the water level in the bottom of the container 76. Like the extension piece 36, this extension piece 50 also effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container 26, in the same manner as in the previous embodiments. In use, in the event that the container 76 is knocked over from its upright position, the distal opening 52 will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container through the pipe or stem 30.

Preferably this embodiment of the smoking implement 24 is also provided with an aperture 56 provided in a side wall of the container 76 for facilitating evacuation of smoke from the container 76. Preferably the aperture 56 has a normally-closed valve 58 provided therein, which can be operated by a user to facilitate evacuation of smoke from the container when needed. In this embodiment the valve 58 is in the form of a spring-loaded push button valve 58, which is opened by applying pressure to the push button 58. Because the valve 58 is normally closed, there is no possibility of water from the container 76 leaking out through the aperture 56 in a spill situation. The push button valve 58 is mounted in the side wall of the container 76 using a suitable rubber seal 60.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a fourth embodiment of a smoking implement 84 according to the present invention. There are several parts of the smoking implement 84 which are similar to that of the previous embodiments 24, 64 and 74 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 9, and therefore the same reference numerals have been used to identify the similar parts. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the smoking implement 84 comprises a container 86 having a sufficient volume of water to act as a filter, and a mouthpiece 28 at its top end through which smoke can be inhaled. Container 86 of this embodiment is also formed in two halves, a bottom half in the form of a tumbler 88 and a top half in the form of a moulded lid 90. The two halves are held together firmly in a water tight and air tight seal by a friction fit. An elongate pipe or stem 30 extends through a side wall of the moulded lid 90. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 11, a hollow tapered extension piece 36 is provided integral with the mouthpiece 28, and extends some distance into the container 86. The extension piece 36 ends in a distal opening 38 of reduced size relative to the mouthpiece 28.

As with the previous embodiments, the extension piece 36 effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container 86. On the inner side of the extension piece 36 a water chamber 42 is formed in which the filter water is substantially contained, and on the outer side of the extension piece 36 an air chamber 44 is formed with the mouth piece 28 which is open to atmosphere. In use, in the event that the container is knocked over from it upright position the distal opening 38 will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container 86 through the mouthpiece 28.

This embodiment of the smoking implement 84 also incorporates a second hollow tapered extension piece 50 provided in connection with the pipe or stem 30 and extending into the container 86 as shown in FIG. 11, to further inhibit leakage of water from the container. The distal end 52 of the extension piece 50 may be fitted with a flexible extension tube 53 so that is extends below the water level. In other respects the tapered extension piece 50 of this embodiment is substantially identical to that of the previous embodiments and will not be described again.

Preferably this embodiment of the smoking implement 24 also has an aperture 56, in a side wall of the lid 90 of the container 86, which has a normally-closed valve 58 provided therein. Normally-closed valve 58 can be operated by a user to facilitate evacuation of smoke from the container when needed. The valve 58 of this embodiment is substantially identical to that of the previous embodiments and will not be described again.

A unique feature of this embodiment 84 is the provision of a handle 92 which is fixed to the side wall of the container 86. The handle 92 can be used to lift the smoking implement 84, and advantageously has a lighter 94 provided integral therewith. The lighter 94 is operated by a pushbutton 96 and can be used to light the tobacco received in the receptacle 35. For this purpose the lighter 94 has a flexible extension 98 that extends to a point immediately adjacent to the receptacle 35.

Now that several preferred embodiments of the smoking implement have been described in detail, it will be apparent that it has significant advantages over a conventional bong, including the following:

(a) The possibility of dirty, smelly filter water leaking from the container in a spill situation is virtually eliminated.

(b) All operational parts can be easily removed for servicing, cleaning and/or replacement.

(c) The arrangement of an extension piece in the container to create a split chamber in no way alters the operation of the smoking implement and is practically invisible to the user.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. For example, the container in which the filter water is held can be of any shape and configuration and is not limited to a cylindrical or bottle shape. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and is to be determined from the appended claims. 

1. A spill-proof smoking implement of the type that relies on water to filter the smoke prior to inhalation, the smoking implement comprising: a container having a sufficient volume of water to act as a filter for ash, said container having a mouthpiece through which smoke can be inhaled; an elongate pipe extending through a side wall of the container, one end of the pipe being adapted to allow smoke to bubble up through the water in the container when in its upright position, the other end of the pipe having a receptacle in which a quantity of tobacco may be burnt; and, a hollow tapered extension piece provided in connection with said mouthpiece and extending into the container, said extension piece ending in a distal opening of reduced size relative to the mouthpiece whereby, in use, in the event that the container is knocked over from it upright position said distal opening will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container through the mouthpiece.
 2. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 1, wherein said extension piece effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container, a water chamber being formed on the inner side of the extension piece in which the filter water is substantially contained, and on the outer side of the extension piece an air chamber is formed with the mouth piece which is open to atmosphere.
 3. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 1, wherein said extension piece is formed integral with the mouthpiece.
 4. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 1, wherein a valve member is fitted to said distal opening of the extension piece, the valve member being designed to further inhibit leakage of water through the distal opening.
 5. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 4, wherein said valve member is formed with a small lateral aperture that opens to one side of the valve member to allow smoke from within the container to be drawn out through the mouthpiece.
 6. A spill-proof smoking implement of the type that relies on water to filter the smoke prior to inhalation, the smoking implement comprising: a container having a sufficient volume of water to act as a filter for ash, said container having a mouthpiece through which smoke can be inhaled; an elongate pipe extending through a side wall of the container, one end of the pipe being adapted to allow smoke to bubble up through the water in the container when in its upright position, the other end of the pipe having a receptacle in which a quantity of tobacco may be burnt; and, a hollow tapered extension piece provided in connection with said elongate pipe and extending into the container, said extension piece ending in a distal opening of reduced size relative to said one end of the pipe whereby, in use, in the event that the container is knocked over from it upright position said distal opening will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container through the pipe.
 7. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 6, wherein said distal opening of the extension piece extends below the water level in the container.
 8. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 6, wherein said extension piece effectively creates a spilt chamber within the container; on the outer side of the extension piece, within the container, a water chamber is formed in which the filter water is substantially contained, and on the inner side of the extension piece a smoke chamber is formed, with said elongate pipe, that communicates with the receptacle in which tobacco is burned.
 9. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 6, wherein said one end of the pipe does not extend below the water level in the container, even when the smoking implement is in its upright position, so that at no point during normal operation is there any water in the pipe.
 10. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 8, wherein an inside diameter of the extension piece is preferably substantially larger than an outer diameter of the pipe, whereby, in a spill situation, although a small volume of water retained in the distal opening of the extension piece may flow into the smoke chamber, the possibility of any water entering said one end of the pipe is remote.
 11. A spill-proof smoking implement of the type that relies on water to filter the smoke prior to inhalation, the smoking implement comprising: a container having a sufficient volume of water to act as a filter for ash, said container having a mouthpiece through which smoke can be inhaled; an elongate pipe extending through a side wall of the container, one end of the pipe being adapted to allow smoke to bubble up through the water in the container when in its upright position, the other end of the pipe having a receptacle in which a quantity of tobacco may be burnt; and, an aperture provided for facilitating evacuation of smoke from the container, said aperture having a normally-closed valve provided therein which can be operated by a user to facilitate evacuation of smoke from the container when needed.
 12. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 11, wherein said valve is in the form of a spring-loaded push button valve, which is opened by applying pressure to the push button.
 13. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 11, wherein said valve is mounted in a side wall of the container using a suitable rubber seal that is air tight and water tight during normal use of the smoking implement, and is designed so that the valve can be easily removed during disassembly for cleaning.
 14. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 11, further comprising a first hollow tapered extension piece provided in connection with said mouthpiece and extending into the container, said first extension piece ending in a distal opening of reduced size relative to the mouthpiece whereby, in use, in the event that the container is knocked over from it upright position said distal opening will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container through the mouthpiece.
 15. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 14, wherein said extension piece is formed integral with the mouthpiece.
 16. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 11, further comprising a second hollow tapered extension piece provided in connection with said elongate pipe and extending into the container, said second extension piece ending in a distal opening of reduced size relative to said one end of the pipe whereby, in use, in the event that the container is knocked over from it upright position said distal opening will be substantially above the water level so that water is inhibited from spilling out of the container through the pipe.
 17. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 16, wherein said distal opening of the second extension piece extends below the water level in the container.
 18. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 1, further comprising a handle fixed to a side wall of the container that can be used to lift the smoking implement.
 19. A spill-proof smoking implement as defined in claim 16, wherein said handle has a lighter provided integral therewith that can be used to light the tobacco received in the receptacle. 